Are Millennials Conservative Investors?

Bankrate just released its July 2014 Financial Security Index Charts, which tell us how Americans feel about their vital financial matters today relative to one year ago. For the month of July, the index dropped to 100.1, which is slight a decrease when compared to June’s index of 101.5.

The survey, which was collected via telephone interviews with around 1,000 U.S. adults, was conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. The survey asked questions pertaining to long-term investment preferences, job security, savings, debt, net worth and total assets, and overall financial health.

Many of the survey findings were intriguing, yet the rationale behind many of them was understandable. For instance, 25 percent of college graduates feel more comfortable with their savings today when compared to 12 months ago. Of those who never attended college, only 11 percent say they feel that same increased comfort in their savings.

Considering this time last year, total unemployment was more than a percentage point higher, and also considering the lower unemployment rates for bachelor’s degree holders relative to non-degree holders, as well as the higher average pay for degree holders (median weekly pay of $1,108) than for those who never attended college (median weekly pay of $651 for high school degree earners), this statistic is straightforward.